Mount Vernon (AP 22) - Naval Cruise Book

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painf iob of fhe Navy Yard painfers 'look place. Armed wifh spray guns, fhey came aboard and painfed. Noi' only fhe ship was grayed. Anyfhing in fheir way, whefher a coaf hanging on fhe bulkhead or a pile of crafes, was painfed. As fhose arficles were removed in fhe fufure, fheir ouflines remained. The ship was finally ready for her firsf big ad. venfure. Ouf fo sea, again, fhe ship leff for New York Cify. The firsf load of froops boarded. The ship ioined a huge armada for invasion maneuvers off fhe coasf of New River, Norfh Carolina. Whaf followed was a monfh of hell. The Wesf Poinf , Wakefield , and Mounf Vernon were fesfed for fheir effecfiveness as invasion fransporfs. Hours, sfrefch- ing info weeks, were speni' shuffling froops from ship fo shore. Boaf crews worked ceaselessly, coming aboard every 36 or 40 hours fo fall exhausfed in fheir bunks, only 'ro be senf ouf again. Fresh wafer was af a premium. Salf wafer was puf 'rhrough fhe showers: fresh wafer was rafioned for drinking. Tired, sun blisfered, and disgusfed, fhe ship refurned fo New York in lafe Augusf fo debark froops. Affer a lay over in Hampfon Roads, fhe ship proceeded fo Bosfon. While fhe crew invesfigafed fhe cify, gun emplacemenfs .were insfalled aboard fhe Moun+ Vernon .

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Scolley Square and Beacon Hill did nof realize fhey were saying Goodbye fo fhe crew, nof fo see 'rhem for anofher fwo years. Buf fhe men had puf fwo and fwo fogefher. When fhe ship leff Bosfon during fhe evening fraffic rush, fhe men were nof foo surprised. The exacf nafure of fheir cruise was noi' revealed fo fhem unfil fhey were well underway. Wifhouf a source of barside scufflebuff, the ship's com- pany arrived in Halifax in fhe same condifion as fhe weafher: a com- plefe fog. The ship remained af anchor, ioining fhe chorus of fog horns. Speculafion had been high regarding fhe appearance of fhe land, inferesf having been concenfrafed on brighf lighfs. Wifh long faces, fhe crew saw fhe bleak, weafher-beafen counfryside appear fhrough fhe clearing weafher. The lndians who lived along fhe shore greefed fhe ship in fhe frue fronfier sfyle by leffing go a few war whoops. Thaf having enlivened fhe crew, fhey were disappoinfed again, when, insfead ' d h b d. of a rip-roaring fronfier fown, sleepy Halifax appeared aroun 1' e en On liberf fhe men found fhe fown as quief as fhey had feared. There Yi was no place fo go fo uphold fhe repufafions. Affer a few beers, a few 0 0 d + souvenirs, and a walk on fhe main sfreef, fhey relaxed and lisfene o fhe 1'own's only excifemenf. ln l9l7, a French ammunifion ship had ' ' ' d b ou h fo rammed a Norwegian freighfer. The excifemenf ha een en g lasf fhe cify unfil fhe end of fime. h' erin in fhe cold awaifed fheir Back af fhe ship, Brifish Tommies, s iv g . fime fo come aboard. Some were prepared fo nof walk back, fhey had fheir bicycles wifh fhem. When af fhe end of fhe week, fhe ship pulled ouf, she became pgrf oo of a convoy including fhe Wesf Poinf , Wakefield , Leonard W ,